Curt Doolittle

Form: Definition

  • THE IMPORTANCE OF P-LAW UNAMBIGUITY The set of criteria for testifiable prose is

    THE IMPORTANCE OF P-LAW UNAMBIGUITY
    The set of criteria for testifiable prose is designed to create a form of communication that is, above all, unambiguous. By requiring complete sentences in promissory and testimonial form, using operational vocabulary, avoiding the verb “to be,” and including all relevant changes in state and their consequences, testifiable prose eliminates the potential for multiple interpretations or misunderstandings.

    This unambiguity is crucial for converting ordinary language, which is often riddled with vagueness and ambiguity, into precise systems of measurement. By ensuring that each statement or claim is clear, specific, and unambiguous, testifiable prose allows for the creation of a common language that can be used to accurately describe, analyze, and compare various phenomena or ideas.

    Moreover, the unambiguity of testifiable prose plays a vital role in suppressing errors and deceits that can arise from deduction, inference, abduction, and analogy. When language is ambiguous or open to multiple interpretations, it becomes easier for fallacious arguments or misleading conclusions to take hold. By contrast, the strict criteria of testifiable prose make it much more difficult for such errors and deceits to go unnoticed or unchallenged.

    In addition to promoting clarity, objectivity, actionable content, comprehensiveness, testability, logical consistency, accessibility, reproducibility, and providing a foundation for further analysis, the unambiguity achieved through testifiable prose is perhaps its most significant benefit. It enables more precise communication, reduces the potential for misunderstandings or misinterpretations, and helps to create a shared understanding of the subject matter at hand.

    Source date (UTC): 2024-03-08 00:42:52 UTC

    Original post: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1765900960574943232

  • OPERATIONAL PROSE ABSENT THE VERB TO-BE (repost) Operational prose that avoids t

    OPERATIONAL PROSE ABSENT THE VERB TO-BE
    (repost)
    Operational prose that avoids the verb “to be” in its various forms (is, are, was, were, etc.) and constructs complete sentences can significantly reduce the occurrence of vague, ambiguous, and evasive language. This style of writing emphasizes action, clarity, and directness, impacting the use of weasel words, passive voice, and other evasive strategies in several ways:

    Reduces Weasel Words and Vagueness: By focusing on concrete actions rather than abstract states of being, operational prose makes it harder to use weasel words that lack specificity. Statements must be tied to specific actions, actors, and outcomes, which naturally demands more precision and clarity.

    Eliminates Passive Voice: Without the verb “to be,” the passive construction becomes nearly impossible to use. This forces the writer to specify the subject performing an action, thereby increasing accountability and transparency in the prose.

    Limits Hedging and Ambiguity: Operational prose, by its nature, requires that statements be tied to clear and verifiable actions or outcomes. This makes it more difficult to hedge or be ambiguous, as each sentence must convey a specific action or result that can be measured or observed.

    Discourages Nominalizations: Operational prose encourages the use of active verbs, reducing the tendency to turn verbs into nouns (nominalizations), which often make sentences more abstract and less clear.

    Focuses on Specific Actions Over Generalizations: By emphasizing actions over states, operational prose avoids broad, untestable claims, focusing instead on specific, demonstrable activities or achievements.

    Minimizes Jargon and Bureaucratese: While not directly tied to the exclusion of the verb “to be,” operational prose’s emphasis on clarity and action can also help minimize the use of unnecessary jargon and bureaucratese, which often obscure meaning.

    Operational prose encourages a more direct, action-oriented style of writing that is inherently clearer and more specific. This style naturally mitigates the use of linguistic strategies designed to obscure, evade, or inflate, promoting instead a form of communication that is more straightforward and easier to verify or challenge.

    Source date (UTC): 2024-03-07 23:16:46 UTC

    Original post: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1765879292523667456

  • DISAMBIGUATION, OPERATIONALIZATION, SERIALIZATION (Repost) “Disambiguation, Oper

    DISAMBIGUATION, OPERATIONALIZATION, SERIALIZATION
    (Repost)

    “Disambiguation, Operationalization, Serialization,”

    What the heck does that mean?

    serialize: to arrange (something) in a series.
    series: a number of things, events, or people of a similar kind or related nature coming one after another.

    From “Disambiguation by serialization by constant relation, and operationalization.”

    The constant relation (falsehood, epistemology, morality)

    The serialization: ignorance > error > bias > wishful thinking…

    Where operationalization means converting into a series of subjectively testable human actions thereby producing measurements given the marginal indifference in human action.

    So where |falsehood| is a monodirectional series, |epistemology| is monodirectional loop, and |MORAL| is bidirectional from the center ‘amoral’.
    This process requires we collect all synonyms and antonyms, organize them by some constant relation into a series of less or more of that constant relation.

    Why?

    All words (nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs) are constructed of dimensions (scales, series of measurements), open to sense, perception, emotion, or action.

    In most cases the human sense perception spectrum appears to produce no more than five degrees of difference for any measurement, such as “distant past, past, recent past, now.” And there are a number of reasons for this – which is why you can only visualize so many of the same things, remember so many numbers or terms, or discern so many directions etc.

    In general terms our universe is triangular bias left, forward, bias right, which is our direction of motion. This is also the minimum and maximum necessary decision criteria.

    If I go deeper it will get too complicated.

    So, by disambiguation by inventorying, operationalizing, serializing into sequences we create unambiguous measurements for language that prohibit conflation and ambiguity and therefore errors of inference and deduction, effectively turning language – especially language like english with so many terms – into a system of measurement.

    By combining this technique of very specific terms (measurements), using operational language that is testable, in promissory form (I Promise that…), absent verb-to-be (meaning “I dunno the condition of existence”) in complete sentences, of complete transactions of changes in state, we convert language to a via-negativa equivalent of a via-positiva programming language with the same test of possibility (compilability) since the ability to compile is a test of disambiguity (yes that’s the secret sauce).

    By using supply demand tests of statements rather than ideals we end up with the formal economics of human behavior.

    For example, decidability = demand for infallibility in the context in question.

    Source date (UTC): 2024-03-07 23:11:57 UTC

    Original post: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1765878079040131072

  • Definition: Irony (eye’-ruhn-ee) When there’s a significant gap between what is

    Definition:
    Irony (eye’-ruhn-ee)
    When there’s a significant gap between what is expected or intended and what occurs, what is said and what is meant, or what is understood by different parties.

    I frequently use the term in the context of “painful illustration of the tendency for human folly.” It’s a very smug form of humor. 😉

    When I studied writing in college my work was both criticized and complimented for consisting of ‘extended irony’…. which is, well, probably how I see the world: almost entirely constituted of children running with scissors. 😉

    Elitist prick yes. But I work for my people not against them. 😉

    Source date (UTC): 2024-03-04 18:40:42 UTC

    Original post: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1764722655213563904

  • BASIC HUMAN FACULTIES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 1. Exteroception: Involves all the s

    BASIC HUMAN FACULTIES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
    1. Exteroception: Involves all the senses that detect stimuli from outside the body, such as sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. It’s essential for interacting with the environment.
    Physiology: Involves sensory neurons in the skin,…

    Source date (UTC): 2024-03-01 19:59:26 UTC

    Original post: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1763655303726276617

  • RT @curtdoolittle: TERMINOLOGY There no conflict between the sets of terms we us

    RT @curtdoolittle: TERMINOLOGY
    There no conflict between the sets of terms we use in different contexts, whether the long form for ordinary…

    Source date (UTC): 2024-02-23 20:04:19 UTC

    Original post: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1761119819493974506

  • WHY THE EMPHASIS ON OPERATIONAL PROSE – AND WHAT IS IT? Operational prose, withi

    WHY THE EMPHASIS ON OPERATIONAL PROSE – AND WHAT IS IT?

    Operational prose, within the context of Doolittle’s Natural Law, P-Law, or Propertarianism, represents a method of expressing ideas, concepts, and statements in a manner that is precise, verifiable, and grounded in observable and testable actions. This approach is designed to eliminate ambiguity, reduce misunderstandings, and facilitate clear communication, and improve truth or falsehood detection, especially in complex fields like law, economics, and social sciences.

    Here’s a breakdown of its key aspects and implications:

    1. Definition and Purpose

    Operational prose requires defining concepts and statements in terms of specific, observable actions or processes. This method aims to ensure that every term and sentence can be empirically tested or logically verified, mirroring the precision found in programming languages or mathematical formulations.

    2. Techniques and Elements

    Elimination of Ambiguous Language: Operational prose avoids vague terms and generalizations by specifying the exact actions or phenomena being discussed.

    Use of Complete Sentences: Each statement is structured to convey a complete thought, including the subject, action, and object, ensuring clarity and coherence.

    Operational Vocabulary: The vocabulary consists of terms defined through their operational (action-based) meanings, which relate directly to observable and testable phenomena.

    E-Prime Language: Operational prose often employs E-Prime, a version of the English language that excludes all forms of the verb “to be” (is, are, was, were, etc.). This exclusion aims to reduce the assertion of absolute or objective states, focusing instead on perceptions and experiences.

    Promissory Form: Statements in operational prose may include a form of promise or warranty, indicating the speaker’s commitment to the truthfulness and reliability of their assertions.

    3. Applications and Benefits

    Clarity and Precision: By requiring descriptions to be grounded in observable actions, operational prose minimizes the risk of misinterpretation and enhances the clarity of communication.

    Empirical Testability: This approach ensures that statements can be empirically tested or logically verified, aligning with the scientific method’s emphasis on falsifiability and verification.

    Reduction of Deceit and Ambiguity: Operational prose is designed to make deceit more difficult and to clarify intentions, making it a powerful tool in legal and ethical reasoning.

    4. Challenges in Adoption
    Operational prose is, like grammatical analysis, a methodology, and tool, where repeated use develops an intuition in the person using it. So, while operational prose offers significant benefits for clarity and precision, it can be challenging to adopt widely due to its departure from conventional language use. It requires a rigorous rethinking of how we express ideas and a commitment to specificity that may not always be intuitive or straightforward.

    5. Impact on Disciplines
    In disciplines like law, economics, and the social sciences, operational prose could revolutionize the way concepts are discussed and arguments are made. By demanding that statements be operationalizable, it ensures that theoretical discussions have practical, testable implications, bridging the gap between abstract theory and empirical reality.

    Conclusion
    Operational prose, as advocated in Doolittle’s Natural Law, P-Law, and Propertarianism, is more than just a stylistic choice; it’s a methodological tool designed to enhance the precision, reliability, and verifiability of communication across various fields. Its emphasis on observable actions and testable statements aligns closely with the scientific method, promising to refine and improve discourse in both the hard and soft sciences.

    Source date (UTC): 2024-02-11 22:06:30 UTC

    Original post: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1756801913306161152

  • DOOLITTLE, YOU USE “NATURAL LAW” BUT HOW DO YOU MEAN THE TERM? Hmm.. Natural Law

    DOOLITTLE, YOU USE “NATURAL LAW” BUT HOW DO YOU MEAN THE TERM?
    Hmm.. Natural Law means (a) that objectively moral and immoral principles are identifiable as first principles (axioms, scientific laws), and that they are a continuation of the physical sciences emerging in the… https://twitter.com/curtdoolittle/status/1755989403703345361

    Source date (UTC): 2024-02-09 16:52:04 UTC

    Original post: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1755998008808702277

  • (Etymology Fun) filibuster (n.) Filibuster is a term lately imported from the Sp

    (Etymology Fun)
    filibuster (n.)
    Filibuster is a term lately imported from the Spanish, yet destined, it would seem, to occupy an important place in our vocabulary. In its etymological import it is nearly synonymous with piracy. It is commonly employed, however, to denote an idea peculiar to the modern progress, and which may be defined as the right and practice of private war, or the claim of individuals to engage in foreign hostilities aside from, and even in opposition to the government with which they are in political membership.

    filibuster (n.)
    1580s, flibutor “pirate,” especially, in history, “West Indian buccaneer of the 17th century” (mainly French, Dutch, and English adventurers), probably ultimately from Dutch vrijbueter (now vrijbuiter) “freebooter,” a word which was used of pirates in the West Indies in Spanish (filibustero) and French (flibustier, earlier fribustier) forms. See freebooter.

    Source date (UTC): 2024-01-30 17:49:51 UTC

    Original post: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1752388670852644864

  • Thang/Thing: Jury of some size: the governing assembly of free people, made up o

    Thang/Thing: Jury of some size: the governing assembly of free people, made up of the community’s chieftains and farmers. It was used for early forms of legislative and judicial governance in Germanic and other Northern European societies.
    – From a PIE *tenk- (1), from root *ten- “stretch,” perhaps on notion of “stretch of time for a meeting or assembly.”
    – The Germanic word is perhaps literally “appointed time,”
    – From Proto-Germanic *thinga- “assembly”
    – From Old Norse þing “public assembly”).
    – Old High German ding “public assembly for judgment and business, lawsuit,” German Ding “affair, matter, thing,”
    – From Old English þing “meeting, assembly, council, discussion,” later “entity, being, matter” (subject of deliberation in an assembly). Also “act, deed, event, material object, body, being, creature” .
    – The sense “meeting, assembly” did not survive Old English.

    Reply addressees: @KenCavallon

    Source date (UTC): 2024-01-30 17:33:15 UTC

    Original post: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1752384492625412096

    Replying to: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1752378498768138751